Breaking and ramming devices for loose material



y 1956 R. A. ROUGEMONT 3,252,664

BREAKING AND RAMMING DEVICES FOR LOOSE MATERIAL Filed D60. 30, 1963 Inventor R. A. Rouasmon'r y Lien-0L lug-MM nome United States Patent 3,252,664 BREAKDJG AND RAMMING DEVICES FOR LOOSE MATERIAL Raoul Albert Rougemont, 6 Allee de la Residence de la Peupleraie, Fresnes, Seine, France Filed Dec. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 334,121 Claims priority, application France, Jan. 4, 1963,

7 (Ilaims. or. 241-101 The present invention relates to a rotary breaking and ramming device with retractable elastic blades for all materials and more especially adapted to domestic refuse collection vehicles.

The invention consists in a breaking and ramming device for materials in a container such as a domestic refusecollection vehicle, comprising a rotatable drum and at least one blade to act upon the said material, a blade guide means for said at least one blade and provided in said drum, said at least one blade sliding in said blade guide means, fluid-operated control elements including piston means to control the sliding movement of said at least one blade, said control element having connected means between said drum and said at least one blade, alternate movements of said piston resulting in corresponding sliding of said at least one blade in its guide means.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show some embodiments thereof by way of example, and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 shows a transverse section of the device of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 diagrammatically represents a device according to the invention located on the back of a tipping lorry for domestic refuse,

FIGURE 4 shows a particular arrangement of the blades forming part of the device, and

FIGURES 5 and 6 diagrammatically illustrate other embodiments of the device, particularly relating to the control mechanism for the blades.

Referring now to the drawings the device according to the invention is shown as generally comprising a feeding chute 0 (FIGURE 3), a drum a rotatable therewithin and mounted on a central driving shaft b, and blades c each sliding in two grooves d of suitable form and of desired length. If desired, the grooves may be provided with rollers, said rollers being located on each side of the blade.

These blades 0 project through drum openings e and are retracted through the same openings by means of a double-acting jack 7'.

During its rotation, the drum takes with it reversal devices as well as the jacks and the blades mounted thereon. The central shaft b, which rotates in two bearings in, may be rotated by any suitable mechanism n at one or both ends. The mechanism 11 may comprise a shaft driven from a suitable source, e.g. the engine of a vehicle on which the device according to the invention is mounted, said shaft transferring drive power to the shaft b by belts and pulleys.

In the revolving drum a move one or more blades 6, the or each blade sliding in grooves in the side d of the drum (FIGURE 2) and projecting through a longitudinal opening at one side of the drum.

According to an important characteristic of the invention, a particular elasticity is communicated to the ends of the blades by means of the jack device 1 which allows these blades to be retracted into the drum if they meet with too hard an obstacle.

This jack has a double action: it controls a set of articulated members or rods (g and g) coupled by means of a connecting bar h to a set of rods i and i, being connected to bar it at point j.

The rods g, g and i, i are fixed to the drum by pivots at point k and l and to the blade at points k and 1' respectively.

It will be observed that the double-acting jack 1 in FIGURES 1 and 2 is shown with its piston retracted, that is to say with its smallest interaxial dimension between point 1' and j. The point 1" is where the piston is fixed to the end plate of the drum.

In this position it gives the set of rods which are upright, their greatest expansion and these, on extending, have caused the blade to project. At this moment the lengths between k and k and l and l are maximum, contrary to the case of the jack which is at its shortest length.

When at a desired moment the control fluid is sent into the second cylinder or chamber of the double-acting jack, this is expanded and extends, pushing at point j the set of rods which are thus closed and contract and cause the blade to be retracted into the drum (position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1).

When the fluid is then sent back into the other chamber of the jack 1, the reverse movement is produced and then blade is once again projected and so on, following the cycle selected during rotation of the drum.

Where a plurality of blades is provided, each blade functions in the same manner, and the movements of the blades are adjusted to follow and overlap each other.

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 5 includes a double parallelogram system with a guide groove and a jack in the centre ensuring the connections between the rods, jack and blades.

Any other similar system may also be used.

Then, as shown in FIGURE 6, if the diameter of the drum and the expansion for the projection of the blades allow it, one or more jacks may be mounted directly between the drum and the blade without any intermediate linkage.

It should be understood that the expression blade should be interpreted as signifying the features of operation of one blade, being purely representative of all the blades of the assembly, where several blades are provided.

It is worth observing the particular form of the drum mounted on its central straight shaft which thus absorbs a very great part of the torsion especially in the case of control of the rotation from one side only.

It should also be observed that the two-bladed drum shown in FIGURE 2 gives the blades a negative incidence since the grooves are located on the left of the shaft in the direction of rotation.

In FIGURE 4, which represents a drum with three blades, the grooves are located on the right and the angular incidence is positive. Thus, according to use, it is possible to give a more or less pronounced angle by separating the grooves of the central shaft, or bringing them together.

The device according to the invention operates as follows when employed on the back of a lorry (FIGURE 3).

The drum a is rotated by the device 12; within the feed chute 0 into which is tipped domestic or other rubbish, and the blades break these materials up, push them and finally ram them into the reservoir or fixed chamber CR in the vehicle body.

The control of each jack is operated by means of a hydraulic reversal device r located on the side z of the drum, thus governing the fluid coming from a source which may be oleo-pneumatic to the required chamber of the jack f.

The reversal of the circuits of control fluid to the jacks f is ensured with the greatest accuracy by means of stop members q located on the fixed part of the assembly which can contact said reversal device r, so that the drum itself controls the reversal following a predetermined cycle in the course of its rotation.

The blades are projected at a predetermined speed, the

feed of the jacks being adjusted in a suitable manner, and

as the blades operate they break up, push and ram the material to point 03 (FIGURE 3) where the blade is retracted. The point 03 may vary according to the arrangement of the vehicle body and the type of work required.

The point 03 is chosen so that the blade shall be retracted well before arriving at the retaining wall s for the refuse which is located behind the reservoir or fixed chamber CR, the form of the feed chute being determined such that the efiiciency of the thrust of the refuse forward and its ramming shall be as great as possible.

At the selected point c3, the retraction of the blade is rapidly effected, the hydraulic reversal device r and stop member q acting as for the projection of the blade but since the circuit is reversed, the second chamber of the jack receives the motor fluid, its piston is extended and closes .the rod which effect retraction of the blade into the drum.

If in the course of its operational cycle between point c1 and 03 (FIGURE 3), an obstacle is met with which is too hard to be broken beneath the blade (FIGURE 3 c2) the blade pushed by the elastic force of the jack will be retracted into the drum as far as is necessary or even completely, and will draw with it the obstacle by exerting pressure thereon in the course of its rotation, or, passing above it, will again take up its first position under elastic reaction and the following blade will then push the obstacle into the chamber.

The capacity of an accumulator in the oleo-pneumatic circuit may be calculated in such a manner that the blade may be completely retracted in to the drum without the pressure of the oleo-pneumatic circuit being greatly varied. In this manner the blade naturally is again extended and will have its normal breaking force especially for crates.

The advantage of such elasticity on the part of the blade can thus be understood as well as the advantage atforded by the accuracy of control of the projection and retraction movements.

The break-ing force of the end of the blade may be adjusted by .adjusting the elastic pressure and thus a mean or harder flexible eifect may be obtained, this possibility being of particular interest for packing materials or crates 'without the thrust and the ramming of the material being diminished.

Each blade acts in the same manner as that described and is extended in the same way.

It is possible to combine a blade retraction with a projection according to a relative cycle or to select different point or angles separately from these actual movements.

The elastic circuit (oleo-pneumatic or the like) is antonomous. It is hydraulically recharged as necessary at a favourable moment automatically by control of a stop member at a predetermined fixed point of the cycle of rotation of the drum.

-It may also be recharged when the pressure has dropped to a certain value, by means of a diiferential valve connected to a convenient hydraulic source. In the event of the system being mounted on domestic refuse-collection carts, the latter being provided with a hydraulic system with high pressure pump, the oleo-pneumatic circuit driving the elastic blade system may be re-charged at a desired moment, from a branch of this hydraulic pressure circuit by means of suitable apparatus, e.g. adjustable valves, flap valves, etc. this both in the case of automatic re-charging on a certain drop in pressure as well as at points pre-selected in the cycle.

The feed v and the oil return w to the reversal devices are controlled by means of a rotating joint x in the centre of the shaft b which thus, in the course of rotation, feeds the reversal devices r in pairs or separately by the outlet point a and u through the shaft b, the rotating joint and the outlet being connected by means of a hollow axial conduit or bore through the shaft, and conduits connecting the feed and return to the distribution reversal devices to the jacks Without exceeding the scope of the invention it can be conceived that the device which it comprises may operate on a purely hydraulic circuit without the addition of an oleo pneumatic accumulator, but in this case it would be necessary to provide feed valves and discharge valves appropriately regulated.

Such a system is less flexible than that described above and renders feeding a more delicate pressure being practically constant, but while operation is not so good it may in certain cases be sufficiently satisfactory.

I claim:

1. A breaking and ramming device for materials in a container such as a domestic refuse-collection vehicle, comprising a rotatable drum and at least one blade to act upon the said material, a blade guide means for said at least one blade and provided in said drum, said at least one blade sliding in said blade guide means, fluid-operated control elements including .piston means to control the sliding movement of said at least one blade, said control elements having connecting means between said drum and said at least one blade, alternate movements of said pist'on resulting in corresponding sliding of said at least one blade in its guide means.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise articulated members, said articulated members being constituted by rods which take up a position substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said drum when said at least one blade is in maximum projection position and on the contrary in a position parallel with the axis of rotation of the drum when the blades are in maximum retracted position in the drum.

'3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said articulated members are arranged in a deformable parallelogram.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control element comprises a jack which acts upon at least two hinged devices in such a way that the force exerted upon the blade brings about the displacement of the latter while maintaining the axis of said blade exactly parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control element for the blade comprises at least two jacks traversely disposed to the axis of rotation of the drum, and having rods which are directly connected to the blade to cause an alternate movement of the blade without the interposition of intermediate members between the jack and the blade.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of blades is provided and controlled by jacks, the pistons of which are fed by means of distributor reversal devices mounted directly upon the rotatable drum and which in the course of the cycle of revolution of the drum come into contact with fixed members in order to obtain at desired points the position of the distributors admitting control fluid into the jacks.

7. A refuse-collection vehicle including a breaking and ramming device as claimed in claim 1.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,619,550 3/1927 Thebaud et al 146-l74 2,151,886 3/19'39 Barrett 222343 X 2,579,326 12/1951 Lang 146-91 2,748,921 6/1956 White 198-2l7 X ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

LESTER M. SWINGLE, J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER,

Examiners.

D. G. KELLY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BREAKING AND RAMMING DEVICE FOR MATERIALS IN A CONTAINER SUCH AS DOMESTIC REFUSE-COLLECTION VEHICLE, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DRUM AND A LEAST ONE BLADE TO ACT UPON THE SAID MATERIAL, A BLADE GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID AT LEAST ONE BLADE AND PROVIDED IN SAID DRUM, SAID AT LEAST ONE BLADE SLIDING IN SAID BLADE GUIDE MEANS, FLUID-OPERATED CONTROL ELEMENTS INCLUDING PISTON MEANS TO CONTROL THE SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID LEAST ONE BLADE, SAID CONTROL ELEMENTS HAVING CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID DRUM AND SAID AT LEAST ONE BLADE, ALTERNATE MOVEMENTS OF SAID PISTON RESULTING IN CORRESPONDING SLIDING OF SAID AT LEAST ONE BLADE IN ITS GUIDE MEANS. 